This account is pending registration confirmation. Please click on the link within the confirmation email previously sent you to complete registration.Need a new registration confirmation email? Click here

PRINCETON, N.J.,
Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Soligenix, Inc. (OTCBB: SNGX) (Soligenix or the Company), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today the formation of a Medical Advisory Board (MAB) to provide medical/clinical strategic guidance to the Company as it relates to the development of SGX203 (oral beclomethasone dipropionate, or oral BDP) for the treatment of pediatric Crohn's disease.

Comprised of pediatric gastroenterology thought leaders in the field of Crohn's disease, the MAB will play an important advisory role in the design and conduct of an SGX203 Phase 2 clinical program as well as in the design of future clinical studies and associated regulatory interactions with health authorities. The MAB will meet at specific intervals to provide feedback, input and guidance on clinical strategies and their implementation as well as on other critical issues, such as health economics and reimbursement to assist Soligenix in meeting the needs of the Crohn's patient population.

"Pediatric gastroenterologists really need additional therapeutic options to treat pediatric Crohn's disease," stated
Joel Rosh, MD of the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Director of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Goryeb Children's Hospital/Atlantic Health in
Morristown, New Jersey. "I'm delighted to be helping develop SGX203 as I believe it is a very interesting potential therapeutic option for treating pediatric Crohn's disease. A topically active steroid like BDP that effectively treats disease throughout the small and large intestine would satisfy an important medical need in these patients who are particularly vulnerable to the adverse consequences of systemic steroids."

"We are pleased to be able to attract such knowledgeable and enthusiastic individuals to participate as members of our pediatric Crohn's Medical Advisory Board," stated
Christopher J. Schaber, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Soligenix. "The initiation of a pediatric Crohn's program to combat this orphan disease marks the next step in the evolution of our oral BDP platform. Despite the recent setback in the treatment of acute GI GVHD, we believe the known pharmacology of oral BDP has promising applications in other inflammatory gastrointestinal conditions. The formation of this MAB will provide us with essential medical guidance necessary to initiate this important clinical development program. We look forward to working with the MAB and initiating a clinical program in 2012."

The MAB Members

Jeffrey Hyams, MD, is the Head of the Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology and Nutrition at Connecticut Children's Medical Center,
Hartford, CT, and Professor of Pediatrics at the
University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Dr. Hyams led the effort to develop and validate the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI) that is currently the standard disease activity instrument for pediatric Crohn's disease, and was one of the authors in the development of the Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI). He was the primary founder of the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) Collaborative Research Group, a 30 center consortium that has enrolled over 1750 newly diagnosed children with IBD and was one of 7 founding members of the Pediatric Research Organization for Kids with Intestinal Inflammatory Disorders (PRO-KIIDS), a multicenter Crohn's and Colitis of America sponsored research project designed to identify immunogenetic and microbial markers of rapid disease progression in children with Crohn's disease. He has published over 200 peer reviewed scientific papers and is the Co-Editor of one of the standard textbooks of pediatric gastroenterology. Dr. Hyams received his MD from the
University of Pennsylvania. After medical school he trained in pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology at the Boston Children's Hospital.

James Markowitz, MD, serves as Professor of Pediatrics at Hofstra North Shore – Long Island Jewish (LIJ) School of Medicine and in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Cohen Children's Medical Center of NY North Shore – LIJ Health System. Dr. Markowitz has held various positions for several national professional societies. He has served on the Executive Council of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), as well as on NASPGHAN's Patient Care, Professional Education, Internet and IBD committees. He has also served on the Educational Affairs and Pediatric Gastroenterology committees of the American College of Gastroenterology, on ad hoc subcommittees for the Pediatric Committee of the CCFA, and on the NIH Data Safety Monitoring Board for the "PEDS-C" Hepatitis C multicenter clinical trial. Regionally, he is Vice Chairman of an Institutional Review Board of the North Shore – LIJ Health System. Additionally, he serves on the Medical Advisory Boards for Reach Out for Youth with IBD and the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network. Dr. Markowitz has served on the editorial board for
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and is a reviewer for various major scientific journals. He currently co-directs the Pediatric Collaborative IBD Research Group, a 26 center, North American research project, and serves on the Steering Committee of PRO-KIIDS. Dr. Markowitz received his MD from
Cornell University Medical College. After medical school he trained in pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology at New York Hospital, and North Shore University Hospital, the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, in conjunction with
Cornell University Medical College.

Joel Rosh, MD, serves as Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey as well as Director of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Goryeb Children's Hospital/Atlantic Health in
Morristown, New Jersey. Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, and by the National Board of Medical Examiners, Dr. Rosh has served as the National Chairman for Pediatric Education for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, the Vice Chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics GI practice committee and the National Pediatric Endoscopy committee. He is on the Editorial Board of the
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition and serves as a reviewer for various major scientific journals. Additionally, Dr. Rosh is a Founder of the New Jersey Pediatric GI Society and a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association. Dr. Rosh received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in
New York. His postdoctoral training included an internship and residency in the Babies Hospital–Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center Department of Pediatrics and a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in
New York. Prior to joining the faculty at
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Dr. Rosh served in the Department of Pediatrics at Mt. Sinai Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in
New York.

About SGX203

SGX203 contains BDP, a highly potent, topically active corticosteroid that has a local effect on inflamed tissue. BDP has been marketed in
the United States and worldwide since the early 1970s as the active pharmaceutical ingredient in inhalation products for the treatment of patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma. BDP is also the active ingredient in orBec
®, currently in development by Soligenix for the treatment and prevention of acute gastrointestinal Graft-versus-Host disease (GI GVHD). SGX203 is a two pill delivery system of BDP specifically designed for oral use that allows for delivery of BDP throughout the small bowel and the colon. The FDA has awarded SGX203 Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of pediatric Crohn's disease.

About Pediatric Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Crohn's disease can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum. The swelling caused by the disease extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The swelling can induce pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea. Because the symptoms of Crohn's disease are similar to other intestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, it can be difficult to diagnose. People of Jewish heritage have an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease.

Product Features:

To begin commenting right away, you can log in below using your Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, OpenID or Yahoo login credentials. Alternatively, you can post a comment as a "guest" just by entering an email address. Your use of the commenting tool is subject to multiple terms of service/use and privacy policies - see here for more details.